Maybe I haven't made it clear that I believe there are valid reasons for avoiding some or even all additives. Even "I don't know what that is," is an awfully good reason in my book to avoid ingesting a substance.
Of course we would all agree with that, but I also believe that it's also good to be cautious of food additives if they're used as pesticides, solvents, etc., because alternative uses can say a lot about the chemical properties and potential biological effects of those additives. That's why I choose not to ignore that information, but of course we're all free to do what we like.
I didn't suggest that the information should be ignored, just that should be better understood. The acetic acid is a perfect example, in small concentrations it is safe and delicious, in high concentrations it can burn skin and eyes. So, the chemical properties and uses for this "additive" in high concentrations, says absolutely nothing of it's properties in dilute concentrations.
Unless you know more, you may know very little. Which as I said, isn't a bad reason for avoiding a substance.
I completely agree that the best approach would be to do thorough, painstaking research on each food additive to determine what it is, how it acts biologically, and what the FDA has to say regarding its safety (while recognizing that testing doesn't prove a chemical is safe, it only increases the FDA's confidence in it's safety at certain doses). Doing that would require investing a lot of time and energy, and it still would not guarantee that you're not doing your body harm by infusing your diet with chemical additives.
Can each of us do that? I don't know about you, but I think most people can not. And that means they have to rely on more general rubrics to make their decisions about what to consume. And yes, I believe very strongly that "scary industrial" uses for chemicals can be informative to that end.
I don't know everything about the chemical additives used in processed foods, but neither does anyone else, nor does the FDA. I choose to play it safe by making natural foods the bulk of my diet and eating processed foods sparingly. And I believe I'll be healthier for it.
Again, I think my point is completely getting lost and I'm failing to communicate it.
I am not advocating for the safety of any or all additives. If every single one of them were instantly deadly, it would not change my point.
I am not suggesting that anyone needs to do exhaustive (or even cursory) research, and definitely not that they should be considered safe unless proven otherwise.
I'm simply observing that if "scary industrial" can be considered a sufficent argument against a substance, then water fits that bill as well as anything.
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The funniest part of this, is that I was not, and have never suggested that any of these addititves are remotely safe, but that is how it has been repeatedly interpreted. Nor have I advocated that any one consume them or do research to prove to themselves whether they are safe or not.
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My point was actually intended as humorous more than anything, in that even water would be considered dangerous if "scary" was considered a sufficient argument against the use of a substance. Insinuation, implication, stereotype, reputation, cultural taboo - they all influence our decisions without us even realizing it, so much that we don't even understand why the reasoning may be flawed even when pointed out.
For the record, I try to avoid additives and processed food as much as I can - even the ones that do not have "scary" associations. Fear is not the primary reason I do so. I believe processed foods, inevitably lose nutrients (some of this I know for a fact, some of this I suspect and could be very wrong, in fact I would bet there's probably an exception somewhere). I also believe much of food processing is done to make food more appealing - even addictive, if you will. Sweeter, saltier, fattier - humans have biological preferences for all three, and natural foods are rarely, if ever as concentrated as in processed food. In essence, I think that our biological systems interpret these fake foods as nutritional goldmines, when they are the opposite (only because we live in an unnatural world, where calories are abundant rather than hard-earned).
Does knowing that a substance has an industrial "scary" use, sway me - OF COURSE, and when I first read the dihydrogen monoxide email, I though "yikes, this substance is dangerous, it should be banned." Finding out that it was water showed me that anything could be made to sound scary with a little effort. Does that mean that additives are safe? Of course not. It just means that "scary" is not nearly as informative as it seems (otherwise, we'd better stop drinking water).
I don't think I've misunderstood you; rather I'm merely making the point that "scary, industrial" uses can be informative, and the counter examples you've cited don't really change that. For example, the facts you provided regarding water were obviously compiled with a specific (and I would argue manipulative) purpose, because the uses of water are inappropriately described. For example, you wrote that "produce remains contaminated by this chemical" despite thorough washing. However, water is not a contaminant. That's a very misleading statement. And after having read the article regarding food additives a couple of times, I still haven't come across any statements that were so inaccurate.
The original poster proposed that the "scary, industrial" uses represent another reason (not the only reason) to make whole foods the foundation of your diet, and I haven't read anything on this thread to make me disagree with that.
My point is this --if a chemical is used in "scary, industrial" ways, it may have properties that are unhealthy or dangerous when consumed every day. Of course, there will always be counter examples to that supposition, but that doesn't mean it can't be used as part of a general rubric for daily decision making when it comes to food. It follows the old adage that it's better to be safe than sorry. And I think it's perfectly natural, understandable, and even beneficial to use that information even if it means unnecessarily avoiding some food additives that are generally safe to eat.
